Poinsettia plant named ‘KLEW01052’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘KLEW01052’, characterized by its uniform, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; medium green-colored leaves with green-colored petioles; pink and creamy white bi-colored flower bracts; early flowering habit; and good post-production longevity.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar KLEW01052.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘KLEW01052’.

The new Poinsettia is a product of a mutation induction breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of theprogram is to create new Poinsettia cultivars with attractive flowerbract coloration and uniform plant habit.

The new Poinsettia originated by exposing cuttings of the Poinsettiacultivar Kleposan, not patented, to X-ray radiation in Stuttgart,Germany. After the radiation treatment, cuttings were planted andflowered. The cultivar KLEW01052 was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single flowering plant in 1997. The selection of thisplant was based on its attractive flower bract coloration and uniformplant habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminalcuttings taken at Stuttgart, Germany since 1998, has shown that theunique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘KLEW01052’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘KLEW01052’ as a new and distinct Poinsettiacultivar:

1. Uniform, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Medium green-colored leaves with green-colored petioles.

3. Pink and creamy white bi-colored flower bracts.

4. Response time about 8.5 weeks.

5. Good post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the parent,the cultivar Kleposan, in flower bract coloration as plants of thecultivar Kleposan have red-colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of thecultivar Klepopisa, U.S. Plant Patent application filed concurrently, inflower bract coloration as plants of the cultivar Klepopisa havepink-colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can also be compared to plants of thecultivar Marblestar, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,685. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of thenew Poinsettia differed from plants of the cultivar Marblestar in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more vigorous than plants of thecultivar Marblestar.

2. Flower bract color contrast of plants of the new Poinsettia was lessintense than flower bract color contrast of plants of the cultivarMarblestar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Poinsettia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view ofa single flowering plant of ‘KLEW01052’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Stuttgart, Germany under commercial practice ina glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 20 to 30°C. and night temperatures ranging from 16 to 20° C. Cuttings wereharvested in August and planted into 12-cm containers when rooted andpinched once. Plants were flowered under natural season short day/longnight conditions. Plants were about 15 weeks from unrooted cuttings whenthe photographs and the detailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivarKLEW01052.

Parentage: Induced mutation of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivarKleposan, not patented.

Propagagtion:

Type cutting.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 12 days at 22° C. Winter: About 15days at 22° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 20 days at 22° C.Winter: About 23 days at 22° C.

Root descrption.—Fibrous and freely-branching.

Plant description:

Growth habit.—Uniform, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit;inverted triangle; top of plant rounded; vigorous.

Plant height.—About 25 to 35 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—35 to 45 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: About five to sevenlateral branches develop after pinching. Length: About 25 cm. Diameter:About 5 to 10 mm. Internode length: About 2 to 5 cm. Texture: Smooth,glabrous. Color: 144A to 143C.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Quantity of leavesper lateral branch: About 8 to 15. Length: About 4 to 12 cm. Width:About 2 to 7 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate with irregular lobing. Apex: Acuteto acuminate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire with irregular lobing.Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous,smooth. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 144B. Young foliage, lowersurface: 143C. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A. Fullyexpanded foliage, lower surface: 137C. Venation, upper surface: 137A.Venation, lower surface: 138D. Petiole: Length: About 3 to 5 cm.Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Texture: Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper andlower surfaces: 144B.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs ofcyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.Inflorescences not persistent.

Fragrance.—None detected.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter; flower initiation anddevelopment is induced under short day/long night conditions.

Response time.—About 8.5 weeks.

Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia maintain goodsubstance and bract color for about three to four weeks under interiorconditions and about four to five weeks under greenhouse conditions.

Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch; about five to sevenper plant.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 15 to 20 cm.

Height (depth).—About 2 to 5 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of fully developed flower bracts perinflorescence: About six to eight. Length: About 7 to 12 cm. Width:About 4 to 7 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate with occasional irregular lobing.Apex: Acute to acuminate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire with occasionalirregular lobing. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth.Surface: Slightly rugose. Color: Developing bracts, upper and lowersurfaces: Central area, 48C to 51B, surrounded by 11C to the margin;color does not fade with subsequent development. Fully developed bracts,upper surface: Central area, 48C, surrounded by 11C to the margin. Fullydeveloped bracts, lower surface: Central area, 48C to 51B, surrounded by11C to the margin. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: Same as flowerbracts. Bract petiole: Length: About 1 to 3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.Texture: Glabrous, smooth. Color: 144B.

Cyathia.—Quantity of cyathia per corymb: About four to eight. Diameterof cyathia cluster: About 1.5 to 3 cm. Length: About 4 to 7 mm.Diameter: About 3 to 5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, immature and mature:143C.

Nectaries.—Quantity of nectaries per cyathium: One or two. Diameter:About 2 to 3 mm. Color: 13A to 14B.

Peduncle.—Length: About 1 to 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Aspect: Erect.Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Glabrous, smooth. Color: 144A to144B.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity of stamens per cyathium: About 5to 10. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: 9Ato 12A. Amount of pollen: Abundant. Pollen color: 9A to 12A. Pistils:Quantity of pistils per cyathium: One. Pistil length: About 3 to 5 mm.Style length: About 2 to 3 mm. Stigma color: 185A.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common toPoinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercialconditions.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named‘KLEW01052’, as illustrated and described.